Many independent groups will claim their lines from this Church or that they
are us under a different name. This is a lie and can be proven false. They are
Episcopus Vagrans.

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The Orthodox Canons and traditions differ than those of the Roman Catholic
Church. When an Orthodox priest or bishop leaves his Church he leaves all
authority and has no sacramental authorty. Since Orthodoxy does not recognize
Episcopus Vagrans no acts of a "former bishop or priest" are or can be
recognized. Priests and bishops are not viewed as irregular as in the catholic
church. Since when they leave they leave all authority to act they cannot pass
on lines of apostolic succession. No Episcopus Vagrans is Orthodox.

When Ignatius left this Church he left all authority from THEOCACNA. When he
ordained it was for the Holy Orthodox Church in America and not for THEOCACNA.
When Turner and the others entered the A.O.C.A. he became an Antiochian priest
and gave up any claim to any history or membership in HOCA or any other Church.

There are a number of false claims made by those in the independent movement.

They claim to be us, from our Church or lines. This is false. When you read
their web age, check their history etc. if they claim our lines most claim them
from Ignatius through Propheta. In this case it is clear they have no
"orthodox lines of Apostolic Succession!

Another false claim is that Ignatius started the Society of Clerks Secular of
St Basil in THEOCACNA (the American Church) in 1931. Actually the Society was
started by Abp. Ofiesh, head of this Church from 1931 until his death in 1966.
Ignatius was consecrated in Sept. 1932 and left this canonical Church in June
1933. When he left he let all authority of this Church, he married, and became a
bishop of an independent church. It appears that he later started an independent
society in his new independent church home using the same name. Technically
Ignatius defrocked himself by leaving without the required letters so he was no
longer part of any canonical jurisdiction after June 1933.

Alexander (Paul) Tyler Turner, of the Western rite, was ordained by Ignatius
(William Albert) Nichols who had been an Auxiliary bishop of our Church. He had
no authority from THEOCACNA to lay hands on anyone. In 1934 he was ordaining as
an "Archbishop" of the Metropolitan Synod of the Holy Orthodox Church in
America, which appears from our information to be an independent (Episcopus
Vagrans) jurisdiction.

When Ignatius died Turner was said to have became the head of the independent
Society Ignatius started after leaving the American Church and in 1961 Turner
was received into the Antiochian Church as a priest.

The Metropolitan Synod - Holy Orthodox Church in America was listed at 321 W.
101st St., NYC which was the home address for Archbishop Georgius (Plummer) who
was consecrated by Ignatius in 1934 I believe, and Witowski (call De Wittow) was
also ordained by Ignatius in 1934 and consecrated by Georgius and Ignatius and a
third bishop in 1936 at the same Church. When Plummer died DeWittow married his
widow. Their Church was also a Rosicrucian hall or temple.

None of those ordained by or associated with Ignatius after he left
THEOCACNA in 1933 were associated with THEOCACNA in any way including Walter
Propheta. None have the legal right to use the name "American Orthodox Catholic
Church" which was listed as our short name in the 1927 Constitution and is a
common law service mark of this Church. Those who claim to be the AOCC with our
lines and history and making false claims and are Episcopi Vagabs and are not
Orthodox as they claim.

Simply put it should be noted that none who claim lines from Ignatius after
he left THEOCACNA in 1933 are or have been associated with the Church Abp.
Ofiesh originally headed. Abp. Ofiesh did not found or establish the Church as
some claim. They also, according to Orthodox canons and tradition have no
legitimate claim on our Church, lines of Apostolic Succession or history since
his acts, done after leaving the Orthodox Church, were without authority or
mandate as a former Orthodox bishop. When he left the Church to start an
independent Church he left all authority to act in Orthodoxy.

Those who claim acts by Ignatius after 1942 clearly are making false claims
since Ignatius left Orthodoxy at least by 1942 when he became pastor of a
community Church where he was pastor until his death in 1947.